Crysti Burnette & Jordan Cayton

ECED 4300 C

Dr. Tonja Root

Spring 2008

Grade Level: 4th grade

Pen Pal Letters

Jordan Cayton

Stage of writing: Prewriting

GPS: ELA4W4. The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise,

and evaluate writing. The studenta. Plans and drafts independently and

resourcefully.

PLO: Students will prewrite effectively through creating a pen pal letter.

Crysti Burnette

Stage of writing: Drafting

GPS: ELA4W4. The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise,

and evaluate writing. The studenta. Plans and drafts independently and

resourcefully.

PLO: Students will draft effectively through creating a pen pal letter.

GPS: ELA4W4. The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing. The studentb. Revises selected drafts to improve coherence and progression by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging

text.

PLO: Students will revise through adding, changing, deleting, and rearranging their pen pal letters.

Stage of writing: Revising

GPS: ELA4W4. The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing. The studentc. Edits to correct errors in spelling, punctuation, etc.

PLO: Students will edit their pen pal letters using a checklist of mechanics.

Stage of writing: Editing

Form of Writing: Pen Pal Letters

•Writing letters•important skill to learn and maintain•necessary later in life

•Introducing pen pal letters •allows students to practice the writing process•communicate with a friend

•Fourth graders •write with a purpose•learning about different topics of interest•developing their own likes and dislikes

Pen Pal Letter

Pen Pal Letter

Title: A Third Grader’s Cluster and Pen Pal Letter

Author: Allison

Tompkins, G.E. (2005). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Pen Pal Letter Citations

Title: Pen Pal Program, between Minnesotan and Kambi student via e-mail

Author: Francis

Mwaura, R. M. (2006). Pen pal program. Retrieved April 11, 2008, from Kambi Primary School Web site:

www.kambiprimaryschool.net/images/l1MaryKeith.jpg

Stage of Writing: Prewriting

During this stage of writing, you are:

•getting your thoughts together

•thinking about areas and topics

•putting them on paper

•determining the form, purpose or function, topic, audience, and graphic organizer

Prewriting Practice ActivityShared Pen Activity:

•you will come to the front of the room to the flip chart

•you will help fill out the graphic organizer

•you will write:

•2 things about you, 1 thing that is new, 1 thing about school, 1 thing about your family, 1 hobby, and 2 questions

•we will post this paper on the board for the next stage of writing, drafting

Prewriting Assessment Activity

•you will be given the graphic organizer

•you will fill out the graphic organizer

•use your prewriting organizer to make complete sentences

•consider the audience, form, and criteria

•you will need to include:

•2 things about you, 1 thing that is new, 1 thing about school, 1 thing about your family, 1

hobby, and 2 questions

Topics:

The Building Blocks for Prewriting a Pen Pal Letter

School: School:

School:

Hobby:

Question:Question:

Something about me:

Something new:

Form:

Purpose or function:

Audience:

Topics:

The Building Blocks for Prewriting a Pen Pal Letter

Something about me:

Something about me:

Something about my family:

Hobby:

Question:Question:

Something about School

Something new:

Cayton, J. (2008). The building blocks for prewriting.

Prewriting

Form: Pen Pal Letter

Purpose or function: To write a letter informing, and/or entertaining my pen pal.

Audience: My pen pal, Sally

Topics:

The Building Blocks for Prewriting a Pen Pal Letter

Cayton, J. (2008). The building blocks for prewriting.

Topics: Something about me:

Something about me:

Something about my family:

Hobby:

Question:Question:

Something about School

Something new:

Blonde hairGlasses

Baseball

Like chocolate and playing with friends

Braces on teeth

Good at math 1 Sister

Like to do? Favorite things?

Prewriting

In this prewriting graphic organizer, we:

•filled out brief information that will help us to remember what we want to talk about

•who we are writing to

•why we are writing

Stage of Writing: Drafting

During this stage of writing, you are:

•using the prewriting stage’s graphic organizer as a guide

•writing down ideas into complete sentences

•using the “Building a Pen Pal Letter” graphic organizer

•not worrying about spelling or grammar

Draft Practice Activity

Shared Pen Activity:

•you will come to the flip board

•you will help fill out the drafting graphic organizer

•“Building a Pen Pal Letter”

•use your collective prewriting graphic organizer

•to include all everything needed for the draft

•focus on writing your ideas into sentences, not on mechanics

Drafting Assessment Activity

•you will use the “Building a Pen Pal Letter” graphic organizer

•use your prewriting graphic organizer to include everything needed for the draft

•focus on writing your ideas into sentences, not on mechanics

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________

______________________________________________

Drafting

Parker, C.E. (2007). 30 graphic organizers with lessons and transparencies. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing.

DraftingIn this drafting graphic organizer, we:

•used our prewriting organizer

•wrote in complete sentences

•did not worry about mechanics

Stage of Writing: Revising

During this stage of writing, you are:

•revising your pen pal letters

•paying close attention to content

•adding, deleting, changing, or rearranging your draft

Revising Practice ActivityShared Pen Activity:

•you will help make revisions

•look at the content of the pen pal letter

•add, change, move, or delete information

•consider the requirements made in the prewriting organizer

•focus on revising the content, not changing the grammatical errors

Revising Assessment Activity

•you will make revisions to your draft

•look at the content of the pen pal letter

•add, change, move, or delete information

•consider the requirements made in the prewriting organizer

•focus on revising the content, not changing the grammatical errors

Parker, C. E. (2007). 30 graphic organizers with lessons and transparencies. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing.

Revising

Parker, C. E. (2007). 30 graphic organizers with lessons and transparencies. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing.

RevisingGood Job!

You have more than 2 things about yourself

and your hobby!

Add something about your family. move question here

Good, there are two questions and something about school!

Add something new.

Change your closing to ‘hope to hear from you soon’.

We need to:•Read over the draft•Make comments

•Green = good •Yellow = add or move•Red = delete or change

Stage of Writing: Editing

During this stage of writing, you are:

•editing your pen pal letters

•paying close attention to mechanics

•grammar, spelling, punctuation, and letter formation

•making use of proofreader’s marks

Editing Practice Activity

Shared Pen Activity:

•you will help edit the class pen pal letter

•read the letter word-by-word

•to find spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph formation

•use proofreader’s marks

•you will come up to the letter use the symbols

•you will be lead through the editor’s checklist

Editing Assessment Activity

•you will edit your pen pal letter

•read the letter word-by-word

•to find spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph formation

•use proofreader’s marks

•use the editor’s checklist

Editing

My name is Christi. I have blonde

hair and glasses. I just got braces!

I have one sibling. Her name is

charlotte. I like to play

outside with my friends and eat

chocolate! What do you like to do?

I am really good at math and

playing baseball. What are some of

your favorite thins? Hope to hear from you soon, Christi

We need to: •read over it looking for mistakes •use the symbols below

My name is Christi. I have blonde

hair and glasses. I just got braces

I have one sibling. Her name is

charlotte. I like to play

outside with my friends and eat

chocolate! What do you like to do?

I am really good at math and

playing baseball. What are some of

your favoritethings? Hope to hear from you soon, Christi

EditingWe need to:•use the editor’s checklist

Editor’s Checklist:All the words are spelled correctly.The first line of each new paragraph is indented.The first word in all sentences starts with a capital letter.Proper nouns that name a specific person, place, or thing have been capitalized.Each sentence ends with a punctuation mark.Commas are used in any series of three or more things (apples, oranges, and pears).Commas connect the parts of compound sentences.I reread the document carefully for all errors.  

My name is Christi. I have blonde

hair and glasses. I just got braces

I have one sibling. Her name is

charlotte. I like to play

outside with my friends and eat

chocolate! What do you like to do?

I am really good at math and

playing baseball. What are some of

your favoritethings? Hope to hear from you soon, Christi

Helpful Links

http://www.pen-pal.com/

http://www.stonesoup.com/links/penpal/

http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/